EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Archive - Fireworks, Moonlight and Streaking Stars

December 31, 2021

6a0105371bb32c970b01bb07d35f34970d

Happy New Year! Every weekend we present a notable item from our
archives.

This EPOD was originally published January 11, 2015.

Photographer: Miguel Claro

Summary Author: Miguel Claro
Shown above is a 360 degree, all sky, long exposure view of the
area around Almada, Portugal, captured from the top of a high-rise
building late on New Year's Eve 2014 and early on New Year's Day
2015. Fireworks celebrating the arrival of the New Year can be seen
erupting from various locations around the horizon, including
Lisbon (at bottom between the 6:00 and 7:00 position) and
Sexial (at right at the 3:30 position). The waxing gibbous Moon
is the elongated white blob at left center. Above the Moon, at
center, are the stars of Orion. Jupiter is the bright streak at
far right, near the TV antenna.

Photo details: Canon 6D camera; f/6.3; ISO 800; 10 second exposure;
8mm; Canon L circular fisheye lens. Taken on December 31, 2014 and
January 1, 2015 between 22:42 and 00:10 -- a sum of 474 images with a
total time integration of 1 hour and 20 minutes.

* Almada, Portugal Coordinates: 38.6803, -9.1583

Related EPODs

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Moon Over Zsámbék, Hungary Meteor Panorama and Zodiacal Light From
Greece Earthshine and Starry Sky Full Moon illuminates
Marmolada and Glacier Northern Lights over the Norwegian Sea
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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 4 weeks, 20 hours, 43 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


The Stars in Cygnus

February 02, 2022

GregParker_stars like sand

Photographer: Greg Parker

Summary Author: Greg Parker

Without looking at the title you might imagine that what’s being shown
here are embedded specks of quartz on the surface of a sandstone
rock, rather than a view of a particularly dense portion of the
Milky Way. The camera is pointing toward the constellation of
Cygnus the Swan. In this small part of the sky, there’s likely more
than 150,000 stars, according to the Registar program. Amazingly,
all the grains of sand on the world’s beaches pales in comparison
to the number of stars estimated to exist in the entire universe.
Compare this image with the Earth Science Picture of the Day for
February 26, 2014. Photo taken on November 20, 2021.

Photo details: Taken with a Canon 200 mm prime lens and a Starlight
Xpress M26C, one shot color CCD.
* Brockenhurst, Hampshire (New Forest Observatory), U.K. Coordinates:
50.819444, -1.59

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Archive - Fireworks, Moonlight and Streaking Stars Crescent
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Greece
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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 8 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


California Nebula (NGC 1499)

March 02, 2022

Cali2

Photographer: Greg Parker

Summary Authors: Greg Parker; Cadan Cummings

The photo above shows the California nebula (NGC 1499) located in
the constellation Perseus. As its name implies, the shape of
California nebula roughly resembles the U.S. state. The
emission nebula is approximately 1,000 to 1,500 light years from
Earth. Visible below NGC 1499 is the star Xi Persei, which ionizes
the nebula's hydrogen atoms and gives the feature its iconic glow.

Photo Details: I processed this image from Deep Sky Survey (DSS2) data
which is available online. Image was processed from red and blue data
channels with a synthesized green channel. Noel Carboni's Astronomy
Actions automate this process in Photoshop.

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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 2 days, 20 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Archive - Mud Cracks near Trona, California

April 02, 2022

https://epod.usra.edu/.a/6a0105371bb32c970b0148c690473a970c-pi

Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives.

This EPOD was originally published on December 13, 2010.

Photographer: Stan Celestian
Summary Author: Stan Celestian

Mud cracks are ephemeral sedimentary features found not
just in dry lands but also in a variety of locations and climates. The
cracks featured above were found in a desert wash near Trona,
California. A rare rain event had flooded the area forming pools of
sediment-laden water. As the sediment settled, the heavier
coarse-grained particles collected on the bottom first, followed by
finer and finer grained sediments. The last to accumulate was the
finest clay particles. After the pooled water evaporated, the
sediments began to dry out. The surface clay contained the most water
and shrank the most as it dried, resulting in the upward curl of the
mud cracks. Note the coarser, deeper material between the cracks. Photo
taken on October 12, 2010.

Photo details: Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION; Camera Model: NIKON
D200; Focal Length: 55mm (35mm equivalent: 82mm); Aperture: f/9.0;
Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320); ISO equiv: 100; Exposure Bias: none;
Metering Mode: Center Weight; Exposure: program (Auto); White Balance:
Manual; Light Source: Fine Weather; Flash Fired: No.
* The Pinnacles near Trona, California Coordinates: 35.617134,
-117.368360

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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 4 weeks, 5 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Melting Frost on a Windshield

May 02, 2022

Water drops and frost
Photographer: Glenn McCreery

Summary Author: Glenn McCreery

The photo above shows frost that formed on the outside of my car's
windshield following a very cold night and warming morning air
temperature. Frost builds on surfaces when its temperature is lower
than freezing and moisture (humidity) is in the air at or above
freezing temperature. The vapor sublimates directly to form the
solid ice crystals of frost without going through the liquid phase,
but these crystals do not necessarily have the six-sided symmetry of
three-dimensional snow crystals. Adhesive forces between the
sublimating ice crystals and microscopic surface irregularities help
dictate the more irregular two-dimensional frost geometry.
When the frost crystals melt, the resultant liquid drops tend to form
shapes that minimize the energy of the drops. The resultant surface
tension cohesive forces between water molecules, and adhesive
forces between water and the surface and ice crystals, pull the drops
into more hemispherical shapes. This melting process may be seen on
the left side of the photograph. Melting first occurred on the left
side of the windshield because the glass is curved, and the Sun was
shining from this side. Photo taken on November 21, 2020.

Photo details: Olympus TG 4, 25mm (35mm equivalent), f/2.8, 1/80 second
exposure, ISO-100.
* Idaho Falls, Idaho Coordinates: 43.493, -112.040

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Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 9 weeks, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Snowflakes on Mount Etna

June 02, 2022

Epod-cinzia-fioccodineve

Photographer: Cinzia Lo Certo

Summary Authors: Cinzia Lo Certo; Cadan Cummings

The photo above was taken during a cold winter morning on Mount
Etna near Nicolosi, Italy. At an elevation of around 3,280 feet (1,000
meters) above sea level, this region on Etna sometimes experiences
weather conditions that can produce snow. These snowflakes form
when a water droplet condenses and freezes around a small particle in
our atmosphere, such as dust or pollen. As a water droplet freezes,
ice crystals slowly begin growing. Throughout the process, ice
crystals continue to grow as they encounter ever-changing conditions in
our atmosphere with different humidity and temperature. These
tiny fluctuations favor or inhibit the formation of different ice
crystal structures. The two basic processes in which crystals develop
are through 'facets / flat faces' or 'branches'. Often these two
processes alternate back and forth during snowflake creation, however,
they can also happen simultaneously. In the case of the snowflakes
above, they are in the plate formation zone with a temperature
between 26°F to 32°F (-3°C to 0°C).
* Nicolosi, Mount Etna Coordinates: 37.6175, 15.0241

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Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 13 weeks, 3 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Culburra Beach Sand Layers Following Wildfires

July 02, 2022


Ash in Sand 2

Photographer: John Lupton
Summary Author: John Lupton

The photo above was taken two and a half years after major
wildfires on the east coast of Australia (late 2019 through to
early 2020) burned approximately 65,600 sq. miles (70,000 sq. km.).
It’s estimated that over a billion mammals, reptiles and birds were
killed. The south coast of New South Wales and eastern coast of
Victoria were particularly hit hard. During that time, rivers in the
region had a floating layer of blackened leaves and ash that washed
down to the sea. From personal experience, it was nigh impossible to
swim or see the bottom in normally crystal-clear waters.

The Shoalhaven River flushed down significant sums of ash to the
sea. On the photo, captured at Culburra Beach in New South Wales,
note the clear line of ash deposit, between sand layers, that were laid
down during this wildfire episode. Erosion, because of the denuded
landscape and also from extreme surf conditions as a result of an
east coast low pressure systems, removed over 80% of the beach’s
sand, exposing these layers. The upper layer relates to the 2019~2020
wildfire, while the lower relates to a lesser fire season in February
2017. These sand cliffs, though revealing very recent wildfire history
nonetheless demonstrate the impact of the fires on the local
environment and are a pointer to their lasting impact for years to
come. Photo taken on April 4, 2022.
* Culburra Beach, New South Wales, Australia Coordinates: -34.9305,
150.7580

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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 17 weeks, 5 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Lightning and the Eiffel Tower

August 02, 2022


6M2A7587p

Photographer: Bertrand Kulik

Summary Author: Bertrand Kulik; Jim Foster

The photo above showing a forked lightning stroke near the
Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, was captured during a
thunderstorm on May 15, 2022. From the balcony of my apartment
window (in District 15), this cloud-to-ground bolt appeared to be a
much-distorted outline of the famed tower itself. At 916 ft (279 m) in
height and hundreds of feet higher than any nearby structure, the
Eiffel Tower is not only the visual focal point of Paris but is one of
the most eye-catching objects of any city anywhere in the world. On
average, it's the target of lightning strikes about 10-times per
year.

Photo details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera; EF 50 mm; f/1.8 STM;
ƒ/13.0; 50.0 mm; 2 50.


Paris, France Coordinates: 48.856614, 2.352222


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Severe Weather Links

* World Severe Weather Information Center
* Enhanced Fujita Scale
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* Staying Safe Outdoors in Severe Weather
* NOAA Storm Prediction Center
* Patterns of Lightning Activity
* US National Weather Service

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 22 weeks, 1 day, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Mount Etna Eruption of May 29, 2022

September 02, 2022

Gianni TUMINO Colata 01_06_2022_Riposto_JPG_LOGO_2040pix

Gianni TUMINO Colata 02_06_2022_MILO_JPG_LOGO_2040PIX

Photographer: Giovanni Tumino

Summary Author: Giovanni Tumino

During one of the numerous paroxysms of Mt Etna (Sicily, Italy), I
decided to spend the night filming the lava flow it generated. This
flow emanated from a new eruptive mouth that opened at
approximately the 2,800 m (9,186 ft) level on May 29, 2022. Though
these flows look ominous, fortunately the Bove Valley acts as a
container for the lava flow that would otherwise pour over the Etnean
towns. Photos taken on June 2, 2022.

Riposto, Sicily, Italy Coordinates: 37.73140, 15.20916

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 26 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Wafer Thin Moon and Pumpkin Sky

October 31, 2022


MatthewC_DSC_1834s2s

THANKS FOR VISITING EPOD. THE BLOG SERVICE IS HAVING A TECHNICAL ISSUE.
WE HOPE TO RESOLVE THIS WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDER SOON.

Photographer: Matthew Chin
Summary Author: Matthew Chin; Jim Foster
Can you spot the sliver of the crescent Moon? Because it was only about
1.3% illuminated when this photo was snapped, at dawn on June 28, 2022,
it isn’t exactly conspicuous against the pumpkin-colored sky. As night
has now lost its grip, hordes of bats are returning to their caves
(could this be the source of the dark smudge at lower right?) and other
spooky, nocturnal creatures will soon be asleep in their lairs. Photo
taken in Yuen Long, Hong Kong, on June 28, 2022, at 05:12 a.m. local
time.

Yuen Long, Hong Kong Coordinates: 22.4445, 114.0222


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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 35 weeks, 2 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Cumulus Clouds with Spikes

December 02, 2022


IMG_0290

IMG_3739

Photographer: Mila Zinkova

Summary Author: Mila Zinkova; Jim Foster

Shown above are curious shaped, cumulus clouds that were observed
from near my home in San Francisco, California, on April 19, 2022. The
spike-like features have horseshoe shapes in some cases, as shown in
the bottom photo. Perhaps these spikes and horseshoes are caused by
convection -- intense localized heating of the most optically
thick portion of cloud by the strong April sun. However, because the
atmospheric environment where the clouds formed wasn't suitable
( stable atmosphere) for widespread building, they remained overall
fairly “flat” in appearance. Click here to see a video of these
clouds.

San Francisco, California Coordinates: 37.7749, -122.4194


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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

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